Mail chute



NOV. 6, 1934. Q DOBBlN 1,979,796

v v MAIL CHUTE Filed June 9, 1932 INVENTOR Charles 00 miv/ wbff;

his ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITE STATES Aren't oFFics 2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to improvements in mail chutes for conducting postal matter from different locations in a building to a common collection box and more particularly concerns the portion of the chute in which the mail receiving openings or apertures are located.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved mail receiving pocket in which the opening therein for the reception of the mail may be closed when necessary or desirable in order to facilitate making repairs on the chute or for other reasons, the position of the closure member associated with the opening being controllable only by authorized persons having access to the interior of the chute. The invention is embodied in certain novel improvements and combinations of parts with respect to the aforementioned portion of the chute as hereinafter more particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:- I

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the mail receiving pocket embodying the construction of the present invention and illustrating the pocket in an assembled position with the cooperating parts of the mail chute.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the pocket shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the pocket illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 3 and,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the closure element in a closed position.

The construction of the chute in which the novel improvements are embodied may be of the usual type having a channel member 10 in the front of which is removably positioned a glass panel 11 secured thereto by the mouldings l2 and 13. The chutes are also constructed to include a number of panel sections, each of which are secured in position to the channel by means of a lock bar, not herein illustrated, which encircles both of these elements. A mail receiving pocket 14 is suitably mounted in the panel portion of the chute being secured in the present case to the moulding 12 and 13 by means of lugs 15 and 16, which fit in recesses provided for the same in the moulding. The pocket 14 communicates with the interior of the mail chute and is provided at its upper surface with an opening or aperture 1'7 for the reception of mail or other postal matter by means of which the mail may pass into the chute. A guide plate 18 is secured within the pocket below the aperture 17 in any desirable manner and serves to direct the passage of the mail to insure the entry of the same into the chute.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive, f the closure element for the mail receiving aperture is indicated at 19. The closure is illustrated in the form of a hinge member, one face of which is suitably secured to the upper rear surface of the pocket, the other face being pivotally movable 6-5 to assume a position under the mail aperture, Fig. 5, in order to effect a closing of the same.

The closure element is situated in a concealed position within the mailing pocket, so that the same cannot be tampered with or regulated by other than the authorized persons having access to the chute. Associated with the underside of the closure element is a guideway indicated at 20, which cooperates with a manually responsive device for determining the position of the same with respect to the mail receiving aperture. This device is shown in the instant case in the form of a movable arm 21 having an extension at one end of the same, which rides freely in the guideway 20, as shown at 22 in Fig. 3. The arm 21 30 is loosely located upon one side of the interior surface of the pocket by means of the heads of the guide members 23 and 24, which are preferably round headscrews fastened at the end of the same to the pocket, the extending portions 35 of the screws being situated in slots in the body of the member 21 as clearly indicated at 25 and 26. The slots are curved so that a manual movement of the end 27 of the arm will move the same in a corresponding arc in an upwardly direction. go The lower portion of the slot 26 is curved in an abrupt manner in order to facilitate the movement of the end 22 of the arm to assume a position against the outer surface of the guideway, Fig. 5, when the closure is in this position. The surface of the lower groove also acts as a lock to retain the closure element in this position until manually released. In order to compensate for the pivotal movement of the closure and the reciprocal movement of the end 22 of the arm lo- 103 cated in the guideway a combination of circular and rectilinear motion must be utilized in facilitating the adjustment. The movement in a line of curvilinear translation is imparted to the arm by reason of the arrangement of the curved slots 25 and 26.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood, without requiring a more ex- H9 tended explanation. Various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a pocket for a mail chute having a mail receiving aperture therein, of a closure element for the aperture within said pocket, an arm, cooperating with the closure element, having two separate curved slots therein, means for movably mounting the arm to the side of the pocket through the slotted portions thereof, said arm being movable in a line of curvilinear translation to accomplish the setting of the clo-' sure element in the desired position.

2. The combination with a pocket for a mail chute having a mail receiving aperture therein, of a closure element for the aperture within said pocket, a guideway associated with the closure element, an arm, one end of which cooperates with the closure guideway, having two separate curved slots therein, means for movably mounting the arm to the side of the pocket through the slotted portion thereof, said arm being movable in a line of curvilinear translation to accomplish the setting of the closure element, through means of the guideway, in the desired position.

' CHARLES DOBBIN. 

